Accountable care in the safety net: a case study of the Cambridge Health Alliance

Accountable care in the safety net: a case study of the Cambridge Health Alliance

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Case study (Commonwealth fund)
Author(s):
Hacker, Karen, author
Mechanic, Robert, author
Santos, Palmira, author
Contributor(s):
Commonwealth Fund, issuing body.
Publication:
[New York, N.Y.] : Commonwealth Fund, June 2014
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Accountable Care Organizations
Safety-net Providers -- economics
Massachusetts
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Following passage of health care reform in Massachusetts, the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a public safety-net health system, began to establish an accountable care organization in an effort to continue its mission and remain financially solvent. In examining how CHA undertook its delivery system transformation, this case study explores the organization's four major strategies: establishing patient-centered medical homes, entering alternative payment arrangements with managed care organizations, launching complex care management, and establishing a partnership with a tertiary care institution. Workforce education and culture change were also core principles. Within two years, CHA had already received National Committee for Quality Assurance patient-centered medical home recognition for six of its primary care sites, and quality metrics demonstrate improvements in these sites compared with others. Moreover, utilization in one managed care organization is trending downward. Challenges persist, however, due in part to fiscal pressures created by state health care reform.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (16 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
101656732 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101656732